System for and method of transferring plate-shaped member with interleaving paper thereon

Abstract

In a system for transferring a plate-shaped member with interleaving paper thereon, a suction adhesion device included in a suction adhesion unit includes suction pads that adhere to a surface of a glass plate by suction with interleaving paper in between the surface and the suction pads; an air blowing device blows air between the adhered glass plate and a glass plate positioned below the adhered glass plate; a robot moves the suction adhesion unit; a clamping device includes a pair of pushing members that are arranged at both sides, respectively, of the glass plates and move toward the glass plates to come close to each other; and at least before the suction adhesion unit lifts the adhered glass plate, a controller causes the pair of pushing members to move to push protruding portions of pieces of interleaving paper, the protruding portions protruding from the sides of the glass plates.

The invention claimed is:  
     
       1. A system for transferring a plate-shaped member with interleaving paper thereon, the system being configured to transfer an uppermost plate-shaped member from a plurality of plate-shaped members that are stacked with pieces of interleaving paper placed on respective upper surfaces of the plate-shaped members, the system comprising:
 a suction adhesion device including a plurality of suction pads configured to adhere to a surface of the uppermost plate-shaped member by suction with the interleaving paper in between the surface and the suction pads; 
 an air blowing device configured to blow air between the adhered plate-shaped member and the plate-shaped member that is positioned below the adhered plate-shaped member; 
 a robot configured to move the suction adhesion device; 
 a pushing device disposed at a side of the stacked plate-shaped members, the pushing device including a pushing member configured to move toward the plate-shaped members; and 
 a controller configured to control operations of the pushing device, the suction adhesion device, the air blowing device, and the robot, wherein 
 the plurality of suction pads are arranged such that adhering surfaces thereof are positioned substantially on a predetermined imaginary plane, 
 the suction pad that is disposed at a forefront position is configured such that the adhering surface thereof moves upward relative to the imaginary plane, and 
 the controller is configured to: 
 after causing the plurality of suction pads to adhere to the plate-shaped member by suction, cause the suction pad disposed at the forefront position to move upward to warp a portion of an outer edge of the plate-shaped member; 
 cause the air blowing device to blow air between the warped portion and the plate-shaped member that is positioned below the warped portion, and then cause the suction adhesion device to be lifted upward; and 
 at least over a period from before the suction adhesion device is lifted until the plate-shaped member is lifted, cause the pushing member to push protruding portions of the respective pieces of interleaving paper, the protruding portions protruding from the side of the plate-shaped members. 
 
     
     
       2. The system for transferring a plate-shaped member with interleaving paper thereon according to  claim 1 , the system comprising
 a holding device provided at the suction adhesion device, wherein the holding device includes:
 a pair of holding tools configured to move relative to each other along the surface of the plate-shaped member; and 
 a holding drive unit configured to cause the pair of holding tools to move relative to each other, and 
 
 the controller is configured to control the holding drive unit to cause the pair of holding tools to move relative to each other on the plate-shaped member, such that the holding tools hold the interleaving paper that is on the plate-shaped member. 
 
     
     
       3. The system for transferring a plate-shaped member with interleaving paper thereon according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the holding device includes an advancing/retracting mechanism configured to cause the pair of holding tools to advance toward and retract from the surface of the plate-shaped member, and 
 the pair of holding tools is swingably attached to the advancing/retracting mechanism. 
 
     
     
       4. The system for transferring a plate-shaped member with interleaving paper thereon according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the pair of holding tools is configured such that distal ends of the respective holding tools come into contact with the surface of the plate-shaped member with the interleaving paper in between the surface and the distal ends, and 
 the distal ends of the pair of holding tools are formed of an elastic material. 
 
     
     
       5. The system for transferring a plate-shaped member with interleaving paper thereon according to  claim 2 , the system comprising
 an interleaving paper storage tool projecting upward such that the interleaving paper storage tool has at least one straight ridge, wherein 
 the controller is configured to cause the robot to move the suction adhesion device such that a center line of the interleaving paper that is held by the holding device is positioned above the ridge of the interleaving paper storage tool, and then cause one of the holding tools to move away from the other holding tool such that the interleaving paper is released from the holding device. 
 
     
     
       6. The system for transferring a plate-shaped member with interleaving paper thereon according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the pair of holding tools is configured such that the holding tools come close to each other while lowering downward. 
 
     
     
       7. A transfer method executed by a system for transferring a plate-shaped member with interleaving paper thereon, the system being configured to transfer an uppermost plate-shaped member from a plurality of plate-shaped members that are stacked with pieces of interleaving paper placed on respective upper surfaces of the plate-shaped members, the system including: a suction adhesion device including a plurality of suction pads configured to adhere to a surface of the uppermost plate-shaped member by suction with the interleaving paper in between the surface and the suction pads; an air blowing device configured to blow air between the adhered plate-shaped member and the plate-shaped member that is positioned below the adhered plate-shaped member; a robot configured to move the suction adhesion device; a pushing device disposed at a side of the stacked plate-shaped members, the pushing device including a pushing member configured to move toward the plate-shaped members; and a controller configured to control operations of the pushing device, the suction adhesion device, the air blowing device, and the robot, wherein the plurality of suction pads are arranged such that adhering surfaces thereof are positioned substantially on a predetermined imaginary plane, and the suction pad that is disposed at a forefront position is configured such that the adhering surface thereof moves upward relative to the imaginary plane,
 the transfer method comprising: 
 a suction-adhering step in which the controller causes the plurality of suction pads to adhere to the plate-shaped member by suction with the interleaving paper in between the plate-shaped member and the suction pads; 
 a warping step in which the controller causes the suction pad disposed at the forefront position to move upward to warp a portion of an outer edge of the plate-shaped member; 
 an air blowing step in which the controller causes the air blowing device to blow air between the warped portion of the outer edge and the plate-shaped member that is positioned below the warped portion; 
 a pushing step in which the controller causes the pushing member to push protruding portions of the respective pieces of interleaving paper, the protruding portions protruding from the side of the plate-shaped members; and 
 a lifting step in which the controller causes the robot to lift the suction adhesion device upward after the air blowing step and the pushing step, wherein 
 the pushing step is performed at least until the suction adhesion device is lifted upward in the lifting step. 
 
     
     
       8. The transfer method executed by the system for transferring a plate-shaped member with interleaving paper thereon according to  claim 7 , wherein
 the pushing step is performed prior to the air blowing step. 
 
     
     
       9. The transfer method executed by the system for transferring a plate-shaped member with interleaving paper thereon according to  claim 8 , wherein
 the pushing step is performed prior to the warping step. 
 
     
     
       10. The transfer method executed by the system for transferring a plate-shaped member with interleaving paper thereon according to  claim 8 , wherein
 the system includes: a holding device provided at the suction adhesion device, the holding device being configured to hold the interleaving paper on the surface of the plate-shaped member; and an interleaving paper storage tool projecting upward such that the interleaving paper storage tool has at least one straight ridge, 
 the transfer method comprising: 
 a moving step in which the controller causes the robot to move, to a predetermined position, the plate-shaped member that has been lifted in the lifting step; 
 a placing step in which the controller causes the plurality of suction pads adhering to the plate-shaped member that has been moved in the moving step to stop adhering to the plate-shaped member to place the plate-shaped member onto the predetermined position; 
 a holding step in which the controller causes the holding device to hold the interleaving paper at the predetermined position; 
 an interleaving paper moving step in which the controller causes the interleaving paper to be moved such that a center line of the interleaving paper is positioned above the ridge of the interleaving paper storage tool; and 
 an interleaving paper placing step in which the controller causes the holding device to stop holding the interleaving paper to release the interleaving paper above the interleaving paper storage tool.